An agri-tech start-up specialising in developing vertical and indoor farming has announced plans to partner with a renewable energy company to further reduce the environmental impact of growing vegetables indoors.
LettUs Grow offers pioneering technology for efficient indoor, greenhouse and vertical farming in the UK.
However, it’s hoped Octopus Energy for Business’ Vertical Power offering will bring down energy costs and reduce the impact of controlled-environment farming.
Octopus Energy for Business was established in 2018 to bring businesses a tech-enabled, 100% renewable energy proposition.
Its Vertical Power tariffs track energy pricing in real-time, making it perfect for smart management of operations to reduce costs.
LettUs Grow has modelled the savings for a ‘typical’ vertical farm on a vertical power tariff – seeing up to 12% cost reduction.
Tech synergy
LettUs Grow’s proprietary software, Ostara, combines crop performance data with agile energy controls to efficiently automate lighting, heat and irrigation in vertical farms.
These ‘closed-loop’ controls are unique for the industry, sending feedback on the crop produced to adjust the energy input required; reducing errors, improving crop quality and making this future farming method even more efficient.
The system can be used in commercial-scale vertical farms, greenhouses or smaller urban farming projects and, when paired with Octopus Energy’s Vertical Power tariff, further reduces the cost of indoor growing.
LettUs Grow’s plant scientists are working with world-leading researchers and key technical partners to optimise conditions with a focus on growing the tastiest, highest quality, most sustainable crops.
Charlie Guy, co-founder and managing director of LettUs Grow, said: “LettUs Grow’s products are designed with the future of energy in mind.
“In the face of growing uncertainty for the UK farming industry, we are looking forward to offering this unique service to enable farmers to grow as efficiently as possible all-year-round in a predictable, climate resilient fashion.”
